Improved spring construction



March 21, 1933- LlNDHE IMPROVED SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed July 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l w Rm INVENTOR GM.

March 21, 1933. E. ca. LINDHE IMPROVED SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed July 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Loam J1. Q I Q'TORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES v PAT NT; o FIcE ERIC e. mivnnnor HASTINGS UPoN HUDSON, NEW YORK f IMPROVED SPRING CONSTRUCTION:

Application filed July 26,

the unit than has hitherto been thecase and to thereby avoid undue strain of the unit and the ensuing breakage.

A still further object is to provide a spring unit which responds uniformly throughout to load applications and which can be readily and easily adjusted to various normal loads and to check excessive deflections beyond predetermined limits in either direction.

Yet a further object is to provide a simple construction which is an improvement on the construction shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 591,653, filed Feb. 8,

' Further andmore specific objects, features,

" and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the specification hereinafter when taken in connection with the ac companying drawings which form part of the specification and which illustrate a present 330 preferred form of the invention.

Briefly considered the invention comprises aleaf element fastened at one point toa relatively fixed member and at another point to a a relatively movable member and having fixed member a plurality of compression elements movable with the leaf element and cooperating with eachother and the fixed memher to uniformly resist the movement of the.

disposed between the leaf element and the 1932; Serial No. 624,694.

the leaf element are disposed and supported therefrom apluralityof spaced compression plates preferably dependent fromthe leaf' and having th'einterp osed pads therebetween.

These plates and their pads are associated on each side of the fixed member attached to the axle and are held in predetermined state of pressure by means of connectors passing through vthe apertures in the plates, these connectors being adjustable to control the movement of the unit in either direction.

"Preferably these connectors'have bolts on their outer ends-to regulate the normal degree of pressure, placed on the: plates and pads along theirouterportions to control the resistance to movement of the spring in one direction. These connectors are also operatively relatedto acam mechanism adjustably connected to the body of the vehicle so that as the position of the body varies with respect to the spring this cam mechanism is operated to proportionally vary the position of the cam and consequentally vary the pressure of the connector on the plate especially along the outer portion of the-plates.

The lower portions of the plates and pads are subjected to compression by means of adjustable elements bearing against the-ends of theplate units extending between these ends and the ends of the spring leaf as hereinafter described.

The preferred form of the invention. is shown in the drawings, of which Fig. l is a side elevation ofthe-device mountedon a vehicle; V

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. through the device, 7

Fig. 3- is a longitudinal section taken through the cam mechanism;

Fig. i is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 441: of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 55 of Figlshowing the construction of one of the compression plates. r i c As shownin'the drawings, the present pre ferred form of thedevice comprises a leaf 7 spring 10. ,Thisleaf' spring is'fastened in any suitable manner-at one end to a shackle 13 mountedona frameelement 14- of the vehicle. The other end of the spring element is fastened at 12 directly to the end of the I vided with openings 21 through which 'extends a shaft 22 having connected to one end thereof a crank arm 23 connected to a'rod 24- attached to the frame element 14 and having therein a turn buckle 25 to adjust the length of therod 24 in the usual manner; The shaft 22 throughout its length within the casing 16 is formed sectionally in the form :of 'a cam shape 26, shown in Fig. 2, and as this shelf is rotated this cam shape is adapted to'act upon the ends 27, 28, and 29 of connecting rods 30 and'31, the opposite ends of which extend beyond the compression plates and are adjustable as to their normal pressure by means of nuts 32. The end 27 of the connector 30 is in the form of an eye and the ends 28' and 29 of the connector 31 are in the form of apair of eyes acting somewhat as a yoke. From the arrangement and construction shown "in the drawings, it willbe observed that when the cam shaft rotates in one direction the connector rods 30 and 31 wil be drawn back and when thecam shaft moves in the opposite direction the connector rods will be pushed apart. The rotation of the cam shaft is effected by and is proportional to the movement of the rod 24 in response to the relative movement between the spring unitand the frame member 14 of the vehicle. Suitable washers 33 and 34 and set screw 35 cooperate with the casing 16 and the cam shaft 22 to hold this portion, of the mechanism in position.

Suspended from the spring member 10 are disposed a plurality of compression plates 36. These compression plates as shown in Fig. 5 have an intermediary opening 37 to permit the passage of the connector rods and at the top have suitable fingers 38 spaced from the main body of the plate to permit these plates 5.0 to be sli ed into the s rin element 10 in a PP P a lateral manner. Their-detailed construction is shown more fully in my copending application above mentioned.

Disposed between the lower ends of the respective and successive compression plates ".60 plates 40 and 41 which extend fully from the top of the unit to the bottom of the axle as.

shown and adjacent the-outer ends of the series of compresslble plates areplates 42 and 43 having lower turned offset portions 44 and .65 45. These plates 40 to 43, inclusive act as I is adjustable by means of a simple wedge 50,

the position of which is adjusted by a set screw and, a lower off-set portion 44 of the plate 42. Flat bar 47 at the other end of the unit extends from the flat end. of the spring 10,whichv acts as a shoulder downwardly to the lower end of the plate 43 and is adjustable in the usual manner similar to the adjustment of plate 46 and by similar mechanism.

In the operation of the device the compression plates 38 are slid into position on the spring elements 10 with the rubber pads 39 between and along the lower edges and the nuts'32 on the ends of the connector rods 30 and 31 are tightened up to make it assume the normal load position shown in Fig. 1. Screws 51 are tightened upto cause the pressure bars 46 and 47 to bear against the lower ends of the series of compression plates with desired pressure and the cam shaft rocker arm 23 is connected to the rod 24 and the turn buckle25 adjusted forthe normal position of the rocker arm. 1

In this position of the parts the compression or strain on the unit-is normal through out. As the vehicle body tendsto move down relative to the spring or axle this would tend to expand the upper ends of the compression plates and compress the lower ends. This compression of the lower ends is exerted through the compression bars 46 and 47. U11- due expansion of the upper end of the compression plates 38 is prevented by the fact that the rocker arm 23 is moved counterclockwise by its connection with the rod 24 andthe cams 26 act to draw the connector rods 30 and 31 together to resist too great .a

spreading of these plates at their upper ends.

When the frame 14 tends-to moveup'ward beyond normal position away from the axle this would tend to compress the upper ends of the compression plates 38 and expand the lower ends. This compression of the upper ends is relieved somewhat by the clockwise movement of the rocker arm 23. This device is simple of construction and assembly and simple and eflicient in itsoperationl. The actions and reactions of the spring and its associated parts with respectto the frame are checked in both directions by thecooperation between the compression bars 46 and 47 on the one hand,-the operation of the cam shaft and theconnector rods through theintermediaryof the rod 24 on the other hand.

This, therefore, provides a construction in which too greatreactions in the spring in either direction are promptly and efliciently checked without the use of extra and additional and expensive parts. The construction is such that the spring and its associated parts are hung or supported very low on the axle so that this spring can be applied'to cars with low clearance while yet operating efliciently.

WVhile the invention has been-described in detail-and with respect to a present preferred form thereof it is not to belimited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects,

Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What is claimed, is:

. 1. A vehicle spring device which comprises a spring leaf element, aplurality of spaced compression plates supported on said element, resilient material disposed between said compression plates, a frame connected to said sprlng element, connecting rods asso-' ciated with said compression plates, a cam mechanism connected between the connecting rods and the frame and adjustable in accord ance with the movement of the frame with respect to the spring element. V

2. A vehicle spring device which comprises a spring leaf element, a plurality of spaced compression plates supported on said element, resilient material disposed between said compression plates, a frame connected to said spring element, connecting rods associated with said compression plates, a cam unit connected to the adjacent ends of the connecting rods, a rocker arm on said cam unit and a connection betweenthe rocker arm and the frame of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle spring device which comprises a leaf element fixed at one point and free to move at a spaced point, a plurality of compression plates spaced along said leaf element between said points and suspended therefrom, resilient material disposed between said compression plates, connecting rods associated with said plates and atadjacent ends, a cam unit operatively associated with said adjacent ends and a connection between the cam unit and the frame of the vehicle whereby the cam unit is moved as relative movement takes place between the frame a leaf element, a fixed member on which said element is fastened at one point, a plurality of compression plates suspended from and along said leaf element, resilient material disposed between said compression plates, means for adjustably holding said plates together in cooperative relation with the fixed members, a cam unit operatively connected to said means and a connection between the cam unit and the frame of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle spring device which comprises a leaf element fastened at its middle to a 7 lation with each other on the fixed member,

a cam unit operatively associatedwith said means, and a connection between the cam unit 1 and the frame of the vehicle whereby the cam unit ismoved as relative movement between the frame and the springelement takes place.

6. A vehicle spring device which comprises a spring leaf element, a fixed member to which a portion of said element is fastened, 'a plurality of spaced apertured plates disposed along and suspended from said leaf element on one side of saidfixedmember, resilient material disposed between saidrsuspended plates,-means foradjustably compressing said plates togethertowardsaid fixed member,

a cam unit connectedto said means, and a connection between the camunit and the frame of the vehicle whereby the cam unit is moved as relative movement takes .place .be-

tween the frame and the spring leaf.

7. A vehicle spring device which comprises a leafelement, a fixed member to which a portion of said elementis fastened, a plurality of compression plates supported and suspended from said leaf element on at least terial disposed between said compression plates, said plates having a plurality of sets a of aligned openings-therein,an adjustable connector passing through said openings and one side of said fixed member, resilient maadapted to adjustably hold said plates together and press them towards the fixed'member, cam means associated with said "connector'to predetermine thenormal and abnormal limits of movement ofthe deviceand a connection between said cam unit frame of'the vehicle. 8, A vehicle spring device which comprises a leaf spring, a plurality of'spaced compression plates supported on said element, resilient material'disposed between said plates, means connecting said plates tofresist; and

and the c j e checkthe novement thereof in either direc tion, cam means associated :with said means and a connection between; the cam unit and I the frame of the vehicle. p

9.- A vehicle spring device which comprises portion on'top of an axle,a plurality, of coma spring leaf element'fastened at its mid pression' plates suspended therefrom onfopposite sides of sad, axle, resilient material between said. compression plates, said'comtherein, connector rods extending through adjusting these compression bars.

Signed at New York in the county of New said openings toward each other, and ad- I justable means on the outer ends of said rods Y rk and S e f New Yorkthls 25th da to adjust the pressure of said "rods on said 0 series of compression plates, a cam unit as- J sociated with the inner adjacent ends of said connector rods, and a rotatable connection between the cam unit'and the frame of the Vehicle.

10. A'vehicle spring device which comprises a spring leaf element fastened-at its mid-portion on top of an axle, a plurality of compression plates suspended therefrom on opposite sides of said axle, resilient material between said compressionv plates, said compression plates having aligned openings therein, connector rods extending through said openings toward each other, and adjustable means on the outer ends' of said rods to adjust the pressure of said rods on said series of compression plates, a cam'un it associated with the inner adjacent ends of said. connector rods, and a rotatable connection between the cam unit and the frame of the 'vehicle, and ad ustable compression bars extending from the outer end of the spring leaf element and bearing against the lower ends ofthe outer compression plates.

11. A vehicle spring device which comprises a single spring leaf element fastened at its mid-point on top of an axle, a series of compression plates suspended along said leaf element on'opposite sides of the axle, resilient material disposed between the lower end portions of said compression plates, said compressionplates having aligned openings therein, connector rods extending through said openings, a cam shaft operatively con- 'nected to the inner adjacent ends of said rods, adjustable nuts on the outer ends of said rods'bearing against the outer plates of said-series of compression plates, a rocker arm on the cam shaft, and an adjustable rod r July, A. D. 1932.

connecting the rocker arm to the frame of the Vehicle.

12. A vehicle spring device which coniprises a single spring leaf element fastened at its midpoint on top of an axle, a series of compression plates suspended along said leaf element on'opposite sides of the axle,

resilient material disposed betweenthelower end portions of said compression plates, said compression plates having aligned openings therein, connector rods extending through said openings, acamshaft operatively con- ERIC G. LINDHE.

pression plates having aligned openings pression plates of the serles and means for 

